Automatic loading machine



Nov. 6, A. A. CAMPBELL AUTOMATIC LOADING MACHINE Filed July 7, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTCR Alvin A Q ATTOlQQEYS L L E B P M A C A A AUTOMATIC LOADING MACHINE Filed July 7, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm mm 0 m m 5v km Nov. 6, $9 A. A. CAMPBELL AUTOMATIC LOADING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Quly 7. 1941 INVENTOR Alvin A Bu BY I I mPhall -1 441 W ATTORNEYS I Patented Nov. 6, 1945 AUTOMATIC LOADING MACmE 2 (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a machine for the automatic loading and consolidating of high explosives in shells.

The loading of high explosives in shells demands a machine which will present a fractional charge of powder to an accurately positioned shell receptacle, a ram for pressing or consolidating that fractional charge in the shell to its proper density, and similar means for adding and tamping additional increments of the charge until the shell is completely and uniformly loaded.

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine which will automatically, safely, progressively and uniformly load high explosive projectiles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compacting device which is capable of accurately centering a shell which is being loaded at high pressures.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the loading machine,

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof omitting the shell chute,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the pellet tube assembly with parts broken away to show details of the pellet distributing mechanism,

Fig. i is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the pellet tubes and pellet distributing mechanism,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 illustrating the shell holder and aligning guides at a work station, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing a charge consolidating ram and its associated stripper mounting and the shell lifting column.

An endless belt I is made up of a pair of chains 2 mounted on conventional idler sprockets 3 and drive sprockets 4. The endless chains 2 carry between them uniformly spaced shell holders 5 as shown in Fig. 2. Each shell holder 5 has a bore 6 which conforms to and is adapted to receive a shell 1. The loading zone 8 of the belt extends into a barricaded room where an operator inserts the shell casings 1 into the holders 5. The belt I and the empty shells I move to the right through the barricade where the shells are presented al-' into engagement with the carrier I8.

ternately to charging stations 9 and consolidating stations ID.

A pellet, which constitutes an increment of the explosive charge, is delivered to an empty shell 1 at one of the charging stations 9. Pellets are manually fed one at a time through a wire cage from a room (not shown) above the filling machine to a slotted tube H. This tube is supported by a lower tube I2 mounted on a horizontal plate I3. A tube It is disposed somewhat out of axial alignment with tube I2 and has a fiared opening I5 at its upper end. See Fig. 4. A pellet stop H (see Fig. 4) rests across the lower end of tube I2 but is disposed a short distance therefrom. A pellet dropped into tube 12 lodges on the platform or stop I! in a manner about to be described.

Pellet carrier I8 is pivotally mounted at I9 and has an arcuate notch or aperture 28 in alignment with the bore of tube I2 (see Figs. 3 and 4) This aperture 20, in the position shown in Fig. 3, is larger than the pellet and permits it to drop on the platform I'I. Pivoted to the carrier I8 at 2| is a curved pellet gripping finger 22. A spring 23 normally urges the tip portion 24 of the finger The opposite end 25 of the finger 22 is held a slight distance from the carrier I8 by the influence of spring 23.

Carrier I8 is oscillated counterclockwise to deposit the pellet which is resting on platform I! into the mouth of tube I4. Movement of the pellet gripping mechanism I8 is accomplished by the reciprocation of the fluid motor 28 and the linkage 21. When the carrier I8 rests in the posi- 7 tion shown in Fig. 3, the spring loaded gripper 22 abuts a stop 28 which is adjusted to maintain the tip 25 slightly separated from the heel 29 of the carrier I8. This enlarges the circular gap between the carrier I8 and the pellet gripping finger 22 sufilciently to permit a pellet to pass therethrough and stop on the platform I1. Counterclockwise movement of the carrier I8 removes the tip 24 of the gripper 22 from the influence of the stop and the spring 23 swings the gripper 22 clockwise about pin 2| and clamps the pellet to the carrier I8. The pellet is transported over the mouth of tube I4 where the end of the finger 22 adjacent the spring 23 is engaged by a stop pin 30. This swings the gripper finger 22 counterclockwise sufficiently to release the pellet. The return stroke of the motor '26 swings the carrier I8 back to the initial position shown in Fig. 3.

The endless belt I and associated shell holders 5 are indexed intermittently to their respective work stations by a pawl 3| on a piston rod 32 which engages a ratchet wheel 33 coupled to drive sprocket 4. A reciprocating motor 34 actuates the piston rod 32. A handwheel 35 (Fig. 2) applies pressure through friction disks 36 to the face of the ratchet wheel 33 to prevent overtravel after an indexing stroke.

Shell holders 5 must be accurately positioned at the work stations 9 and I0. Lateral and vertical alignment is accomplished by the use of a pair of guide bars 31 attached to the frame 38 as shown in Fig. 5. These bars ride in channels 39 in opposite sides of the shell holders 5 and extend the entire length of the combined Working areas 9 and [0.

A pellet dropped through tube l4 falls into an empty shell I in its holder 5 at the first charging station 9. The belt I is then advanced one step by the pawl and ratchet mechanism on drive sprocket 4 to present the shell I to the consolidating station 90. A lifting column 40 is moved vertically by a hydraulic motor 4! and engages the base 42 of the shell 1 which extends through the holder 5. The column 40 has a tapered recess at 43 to receive the shell and automatically assists in centering it with the compacting punch or ram 44. Upward movement of the column 40 brings the top or mouth 45 of the shell into engagement with a circular recess 46 in a hollow stripping and aligning cylinder 41. This accurately centers the shell I with the ram 44. The stripper 4'! is attached to a plate 48 which is slidably mounted on a pair of vertical bolts 49 which are anchored to a rigid horizontal support 50 on the frame structure. The plate 48 and its stripping member 4'! are urged downwardly against stops 5| by a pair of compression springs 52. As the column 40 rises it lifts the shell I clear of the bore 6 in carrier 5. The shell I is now centered under the punch 44 independently of the carrier 5.

The consolidating punch or ram 44 is adjustably mounted in the horizontal support 50. Ram 44 passes freely through an aperture in the plate 48 and the stripping member 47. As the column 40 moves vertically upward, the shell I and the resiliently mounted stripper 41 have a corresponding movement while the fixed ram 44 passes into the shell body and engages a pellet 53. Continued movement of the lifting column 40 applies a high pressure to the pellet 53 and compresses it in the shell I to the required extent. In so doing the pellet is flowed radially into complete circumferential contact with the inner surface of the casing 1.

The fluid motor 4! makes its return stroke and as the column 40 descends, the spring loaded stripper 4'! forces the shell 1' downward into its holder 5 and strips it from engagement with the fixed ram 44. This insures the correct positioning of'the shell 1 in the holder 5 prior to the next indexing. When the compacting elements and the stripper are free of the shell, it is advanced to the next work station.

The shell I is presented to a second pellet tube I 4 where it receives an additional pellet in a manner previously described. It is then indexed to a succeeding compacting station Ill where the aforementioned increment of explosive material is .consolidated in the shell. Progressive loading continues at as many stations as are necessary in the described manner until the shell is completely filled. The loaded shell then advances to the region of the drive sprockets 4 where it is by gravity into a heavy felt chute 54 shown diaejected grammatically in Fig. 1 and finally comes to rest on a conveyor belt 55.

While the operation has been described with respect to the processing of a single shell at a time, it will be understood the number of shells which are being processed simultaneously and at progressive stages depends upon the number of work stations present in the machine.

The machine may be employed for the progressive loading ,with powder in place of pellets whereupon volumetric devices would be employed to drop the charges.

It is to be noted that a number of safety factors have been incorporated with the arrangement since the machine is working with high explosives. The loading machine operates automatically in a room separated from all personnel. The loading of the empty shells on the endless belt is done in a room distinct from the machine. Pellets of explosive material are dispatched to the loading terminals of the machine from an isolated room through skeletonized chutes or tubes so that an explosion train will not be carried to the operating personnel should there be a blow in the machine while processing.

In addition to these safety features, the machine accomplishes a uniform density of loading which is vital in the manufacture of a superior projectile. The shell centering feature at the compacting stations is independent of the conveyor and lends itself to the application of high compacting pressures. The column'40 with its angular walls at recess 43 and the coacting stripper 41 negative errors in alignment which might result from wearin the shell holders 5, the belt ment, a stationary ram disposed above the conveyor, a shell holder on the conveyor internally shaped to removably support the shell in a vertical position with its lower end below the shell holder, a reciprocatory member movable to engage the lower end of the shell to completely remove it from its seat in the holder and to telescope it upwardly onto the ram to compact an explosive contained in'said shell, a yielding member slidable on the ram and cooperating with said reciprocatory member to support and guide the shell independently of the shell holder while telescoping it on the ram.

2. The invention of claim 1 characterized inthat the member slidable on the ram is provided with a shell centering recess in its lower end and that the reciprocatory shell engaging member has a shell centering recess that receives the lower end of the shell whereby said shell is accurately centered and supported with relation to I the ram.

alignment with the upper tubes for temporarily supporting the pellets as they come from the upper tube, an oscillatable arm below each upper feed tube a portion of which is provided with an arcuate recess for engagement with a pellet while on said platform, a gripping finger pivoted to said arm and having a recess therein complementary to the recess in said arm, the space between said recesses being such as to allow a pellet to pass through said recesses to reach said platform when the arm is in normal position, spring means urging the gripper fingers towards said arms, a device engaging the gripper fingers when the arms are in normal position to move the fingers away from the arms to permit the passage of pellets through said recesses, and means for releasing said fingers upon the initial movement of the arm to cause said fingers to grip a pellet and transfer it to the lower tube upon the oscillation of said arm.

4. The invention of claim 3 characterized in that there is a bar above the lower feed tubes upon which the oscillatable arms are pivoted and a link pivotally connecting each of said arms, and means for reciprocating the link to simultaneously oscillate said arms.

5. A machine for compacting an explosive in a shell comprising an intermittently moving conveyor, a shell holder carried by said conveyor and internally shaped to support a shell therein with the lower end of the shell extending beneath the holder, a reciprocating device disposed beneath the conveyor and arranged to engage and lift the shell out of the holder on one stroke of its movement, and a fixedly disposed ram mounted above the conveyor and located to telescope into the shell, when the shell is elevated by the reciprocating device, to compact and consolidate a charge of explosive contained in the shell.

6. A machine as in claim 5, a guide slidably mounted on the ram and normally extending to beneath its lower end, and means for yieldably urging the guide downward, said guide being shaped to receive the upper end of the shell, on its upward movement, to correctly position said upper end to receive the ram.

7. A machine as in claim 5, a guide slidably mounted on the ram and normally extending to beneath its lower end, means for yieldably urging the guide downward, said guide being shaped to receive the upper end of the shell, on its upward movement, to correctly position said upper end to receive the ram, and said reciprocating device having means at its upper end to receive and. engage the lower end of the shell to cooperate with the guide to efiectively support and position the shell while it is out of engagement with the shell holder.

ALVIN A. CAMPBELL. 

